The author began writing in 1935 following graduation from Chase County High School. He wanted to attend college, but his father’s health kept him on the family farm.

He eventually completed four semesters of English classes by correspondence.

Lee researched his books in depth, his son said.

When he was writing a book based on Julesburg, Colo., he learned that the town had occupied four locations. If the story was set in 1888, Charley said, he’d go to the site recorded at that time and take a metal detector to locate stores and buildings.

“Even if it was a fictional Western it had to be historically correct,” Charley explained. Lee would visit libraries, museums and the site setting of his books to research them.

“We visited the descendents of subjects, from Canada to Mexico,” his son said. “As a family we’d sometimes go along. I spent time sitting outside libraries We traveled quite a lot, and enjoyed being part of it,” or Lee’s research.

Charley said a fictional Western would take his father a month or two to write. At the same time he was writing songs.

Lee formed his first band in the ‘30s and began writing and arranging music. He’d write all the music for the instruments and sometimes for the voice, according to his obituary.

He wrote over 400 songs, and kept active with bands into his 80s.

One of his more well-known bands included Lowell Farrell, Wayne Harvey, Robert Lee and Verna Johnson.

Lee was the rural mail carrier for the Lamar area for over 30 years. He was active in the Christian Church in Lamar and served as an elder for much of his adult life.

He served in every position in the Western Writers of America, and was on the board of the Nebraska State Historical Society.

Lee was also a guiding force behind the establishment of the Chase County Museum.